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Yesterday, Gunwerks broke ground on its new facility in Cody, Wyoming.
The building will house the manufacturing of Gunwerks’ high-precision, long-range shooting systems, including the rifle, optics, rangefinder and ammunition. It will also include retail and warehouse space and a test shooting tunnel.
Gunwerks was founded in 2007 in Burlington, Wyoming. In 2016, it moved from Burlington into Forward Cody’s light manufacturing incubator in Cody. Last fall, the Wyoming Business Council, the state’s economic development agency, awarded the city of Cody a $6 million grant and loan package for the construction of a building on a five-acre site north of the Big Horn Cinemas.
“The most significant impact of this project is getting us the necessary space available to expand,” said Aaron Davidson, the CEO of Gunwerks. “In the past three years, in our current facility in Cody, we’ve been able to add three significant product lines. In order to grow those product lines, we need to be better able to vertically integrate our rifle manufacturing, and this new space will allow that room to grow.”
The proposed building will be deeded to Forward Cody, a local economic development organization, and leased to Gunwerks. Those lease pay
ments will go toward future economic development projects.
“We’re excited after a long planning process to be on the cusp of building something that has been a priority target for Forward Cody for many years,” said James Klessens, the CEO of Forward Cody. “We’re excited to get this project in the ground and for the benefits it will bring to the Cody community.”
By 2025, Gunwerks has committed to creating more than 50 high-paying jobs and to purchasing more than $5 million in equipment for the facility.
“I think the Weatherby project and this Gunwerks project represent a very strong backing by the state of Wyoming in the firearms industry for the state,” Davidson said.
The Business Council has assisted Wyoming’s firearms industry through market expansion grants, technical assistance, recruitment and business expansion efforts.
The expected completion date is Feb. 1, 2020.
How good is your internet connectivity? Take the online speed test and survey now to find out!
The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) seeks input from the public to understand existing broadband coverage and ensure every citizen and business has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.
“We want everyone in Wyoming to have the reliable broadband access he or she needs to access the resources that will help improve their lives,” said Governor Mark Gordon. “Having affordable, high-speed internet in our homes and businesses can provide access to the services our citizens need, and strengthen our education, healthcare, and tourism sectors. We have a heritage in Wyoming of tackling difficult challenges and thriving—we can do the same by working together to ensure we expand internet access to all Wyomingites.”
WBC’s Wyoming State Broadband Program will achieve greater success if every resident and business owner takes the internet speed test and survey to pinpoint speeds in their area, including those that may need improvement. The speed test and survey can be found at wyobbmap.org.
“In addition to understanding internet speeds across the state, we are also hyper-focused on ensuring every student in Wyoming has the access they need for remote learning or completing homework after school,” said WBC Broadband Manager Ryan Kudera. “That’s why we are also asking parents of K-12 students to take a school connectivity survey. This will help us find those areas of greatest need and begin to close the digital divide across the state.”
Parents can, and are encouraged, to provide input on both the school connectivity survey and the speed test and survey. Both surveys are available at wyobbmap.org.
ABOUT THE WYOMING STATE BROADBAND PROGRAM
The Wyoming State Broadband Program is a program of the Wyoming Business Council. It was built to ensure every citizen and business has access to affordable, reliable, redundant, and future-proof broadband. The infrastructure grant, advisory council, and program manager were enabled by the 2018 Wyoming Legislature. For more information, visit wyobbmap.org.